


Double Trouble, Boil and Bubble

by alice_time



Category: Charmed (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Chris has a Twin, Family Bonding, Revelations, Secrets, Teenage Rebellion, Teenage chris, Trust Issues, Twins, twins au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2016-10-28
Packaged: 2018-08-24 03:28:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8355241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alice_time/pseuds/alice_time
Summary: Going back in time to prevent their brother from becoming an evil overlord, the Halliwell twins expected some bumps along the way. Some anguish. What they didn't expect, was a second chance at getting to know their parents, a second chance at saving their mother. And causing a bit of trouble along the way? Well, that's par for the course for a couple teenage witches.





	1. Back to the Beginning

The museum had once been a home. Full of life, magic and children. Now it was only home to the echoes of memory. In the basement there had been a well of power, long since absorbed by the man that had destroyed their world. Destroyed their home.

Destroyed their family.

A teenage boy with tousled brown hair and green eyes sat on the bottom most step, watching his companion pace along the floor, her dark ponytail swinging behind her head. The moonlight from the basement windows caught in her eyes, they flashed the same green as his own. In the shadows, they could have been mirrors but for the length of their hair and the subtle differences in jawline and birthmarks.

And the scar that followed the line of her jaw from her chin to her left ear.

“You going to settle down anytime soon, Ellie?”

She paused, glancing over at him. “Sort of hard to do that given the circumstances, Chris.” She looked up at the ceiling and then glanced down at her watch. “It’s time. Let’s go.”

He nodded sharply, pulling himself to his feet and scooping up his bag, shouldering the heavy duffel with a soft grunt of effort. Ellie grabbed her own bag and they crept up the stairs, ears trained for any stray squeak on hardwood. With remembered ease, the pair skipped over the creaky third step up to the second floor, slipping down the hall and up to the attic.

The pedestal where the Book of Shadows had once sat was now occupied by a simulacrum. A hologram that mocked both teenagers’ memories of the way things used to be. The warmth that used to fill the house. Gone now. Gone for a long time now.

Chris crossed the room, eyeing the hologram and taking a deep breath. A loose floorboard creaked softly underfoot as he went.

“You sure this spell is going to work?” Ellie asked.

Chris nodded. “Sure as I’m going to be.”

“We won’t have much time after.” Her brow furrowed. “He’s already looking for us, this is going to send up a damn flare.”

“I know.” He gave her a look he hoped was reassuring. “Get the wall prepped, we’ll have to move quickly.”

Ellie nodded, hurrying to the empty wall and dropping her bag. She pulled a piece of chalk from her pocket and began to draw the trinity knot on the wall with practiced ease.

Chris pulled the scrap of paper from his pocket where he’d jotted down the spell, waiting until Ellie was done and had her bag back on her shoulder and had joined him at the pedestal.

“I call upon the ancient power, to help us in this darkest hour. Let the book return to this place. Claim refuge in its rightful space.”

In a bright flash of light the true Book of Shadows appeared on the pedestal. Chris flashed a brief smile at Ellie and turned to flip open the book—but it was already moving. Pages turning with crisp precision. For the briefest of moments, the smell of baked cookies filled the attic and the book settled on the spell they’d come to use.

Ellie looked at Chris, a sheen of tears in her widened eyes. “Mom.”

He swallowed and nodded sharply, taking a moment to clear his throat before they began to read the spell aloud. Young voices sharp and clear in spite of the fear and uncertainty that whitened their knuckles around the straps of their bags. In spite of the unshed tears in Ellie’s eyes. The anxiety pounding their heartbeats faster and faster.

_“Hear these words. Hear the Rhyme._

_Heed the hope within my mind._

_Send me back to where I’ll find._

_What I wish in place and time.”_

Their joined power fueled the spell, transforming the chalk outline into a glowing blue portal. Within a word, they joined hands, rushing forward as a demon shimmered into the attic. As he lunged toward them, a dusty potion in a dark corner of the room hurled through the air. It crashed and broke over the demon’s chest, banishing him back into hellfire.

The faint smell of cookies overwhelmed them once again as they leapt into the portal.

It snapped shut behind them—and the book snapped close.

***

“Is it the right date?” Ellie asked, taking a seat on an empty crate in the warehouse they’d taken temporary refuge in.

Chris nodded. “Yup. The Charmed Ones are looking for a nanny as we speak. You ready?”

She pulled a pair of thick rimmed glasses from her pocket and slipped them on, altering her appearance in a flash. Gone was the slight brunette teenager and in her place was a red-haired adult with copious freckles. “How do I look?”

“Like Annie Maplethorpe.” He smiled. “Do you have the amulet?”

She nodded, lifting a round green stone on a gold chain into the air. “I’m just a little nervous. I’ve never been separated from my whitelighter half before. I don’t know how I’ll handle it, to be honest.”

“You know it has to be this way.”

“I know.” She sighed, slipping the amulet on. Green light shimmered all over her and she shook in disgust. “Ugh. I feel like I’m coated in Jell-O.”

“Better than them finding out who you are.” He dug through his own bag, coming up with a string of round beads. He tied them around his neck and his appearance shifted. Coloring and general looks remained the same, instead he aged up a good six years or so. “How do I look?”

“Like a twenty-year-old.” She took a breath. “You sure about this? I mean… _all_ of this?”

“All I know is, if we don’t do anything, the whole world is going to end up like the future we just left. We can’t let that happen, Ellie.”

She nodded. “I know.”

“You should get going, you have a job interview.”

“Right.” She gave him a look. “You going to orb me there?”

“I’ll get you within two blocks, how about that?”

“Deal.” She frowned briefly. “You will be careful, right? I mean…I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you too.”

“I will, I promise, sis.” He gave her a quick hug. “I’ll just spend the next seven months rebuilding my connections and laying low. Everything is going to be okay. We’re going to get this right.”

_We have to get this right._

She could sense his unspoken thought through their bond.

_They had to get it right._

The whole world depended on it.

***

“Well, Annie, I must say you have a _very_ impressive resume.” Piper smiled broadly. “And you’re the only person who didn’t cancel their interview.”

Annie/Ellie smiled. “Well, I try not to take the word of over-excitable elves. Besides, I need a job and to be honest—you guys are kind of my heroes. I mean, the Charmed Ones?” She flushed. “It’s a dream come true.”

“It says here you have an active power?” Phoebe asked.

“Yes, telekinesis. It’s not _super_ strong or anything but I can hold my own.” She took a sip of her iced tea. “Of course, I’m also well versed in spells and potions. As well as herbal remedies, bedtime stories and childhood illnesses.”

“Well, I think we can afford to give you a trial at least,” Piper said. “You’re hired.”

“Great!” Annie/Ellie smiled again. _I’m in, Chris._

_Stage one. Complete._

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Initial Plans

Ellie thumbed through the calendar journal, eyeing her coded notes, marking out the time left until Chris would join her. These past months had been…hard. Harder than she thought they would be. It wasn’t just that she missed her twin either. It hurt being so close to the family she’d lost. It hurt that they had no idea—could have no idea—who she was.

And now she was angry at a baby. _A baby that grows up to be a monster._ She swallowed, hard and set the journal aside. In a couple of days, the Titans would make their move and Chris would make his move. Paige had been having the dreams. The heatwave had started. Everything was going just as history told her it _should_ go. Except this time it wouldn’t go _quite_ the way history had recorded.

Chris had concocted the story he would tell them. Claiming Paige would have died if he hadn’t intervened, setting Leo up to become an Elder. Sure, it bothered her a little bit that they were going to be splitting up her parents but…if they didn’t use the power of the gods to defeat the Titans, the Charmed Ones would instead resort to a deal with a powerful demon. A deal that could well be the thing that darkened Wyatt’s heart.

The baby-monitor crackled. Ellie sighed, stuffing her journal under mattress before padding out of her room and into the nursery.

“Hello, Wyatt,” she said with a soft smile. “Up from your nap already?”

He smiled at her, bouncing in his crib.

“All right, all right.” She lifted him into her arms. It was hard not to consider, even briefly, that Wyatt’s death would end all possibility of the future she’d come from.

But looking at that sweet, innocent little face always broke her resolve. It was easier to look at evil, _adult_ Wyatt and think about murdering him. _Much_ easier. She rubbed her jaw.

Baby Wyatt giggled, tugging on her braid.

“I know, I know.” She bounced him onto her hip and headed downstairs to the playpen to set him down. “There you go, little man.”

“That was a short nap,” Piper said, heading into the living room to sit next to the playpen.

“He was pretty insistent it was time to get up,” Ellie said ruefully. “I think the heat is a bit much for him. I moved a fan into the nursery, that seems to have helped a little bit.”

“Thanks, Annie.” Piper smiled.

“You’re welcome.” _Mom._

_You’re only hurting yourself._ That’s what Chris would say anyhow.

“Are you up to running a couple errands for me?” Piper continued. “Sheila’s coming by in ten but we’re getting pretty low on a few essentials.”

“Not a problem.”

“You are such a life-saver.”

_You have no idea._

***

Chris woke up the night before the Titan’s attack, his sister’s nightmare making his heart race. He sent a thrum of positive energy through the bond, trying to reassure her. He felt her thanks in return.

They’d be reunited again soon. Which was good, they were always stronger together. Being separated this long had been hard on them both. Their telepathic bond was strong, but it wasn’t the same as being in the same room.

_Only a few more hours._ A few more hours until he was face to face with his family. His…mom. He swallowed. _At least I won’t be sleeping in this warehouse anymore after that._ He planned to move into the backroom at P3 actually. It would be more comfortable.

_Just a few more hours._

***

“Don’t look into her eyes!” Chris shouted, knocking Phoebe aside as he orbed into the attic. He tossed a few potions at the Titan, prompting the being to flee. He helped Phoebe to her feet, glancing over at Paige and Ellie, on the floor.

“You two okay?” Chris asked.

Ellie and Paige picked themselves up, nodding.

“Yeah, I think so,” Paige said. “Who are you?”

“Chris—Perry, I’m from the future.” He flashed a smile.

“The future?” Paige blinked.

“Yeah, but just like twenty years or so.”

Piper rushed in the attic a few moments later, eyeing the scene. “What is going on here? Who is this?”

“Chris, he’s from the future,” Paige said. “Apparently.”

“And you’re lucky I did. Because if I hadn’t shown up, Paige would be dead.”

“Excuse me?” Paige protested.

“Look, where I come from, history didn’t have Paige surviving this attack, she was supposed to die. I risked everything to orb in here and save her.”

“You _orb_?” Piper was somewhat disbelieving. “You’re a _white-lighter._ ”

“Yeah.”

Piper sighed. “Leo!”

A rush of blue and white light signaled Leo’s appearance. “Piper, sweetie, I’m sorry I missed—”

“This isn’t about that,” she dismissed. “We have Titans and… _him._ ” She gestured at Chris. “A whitelighter, _from the future._ ”

“I’m here to alter history, to help you all save the future.”

Ellie took a deep breath. “I…should go see Wyatt.” She slipped out of the room.

“And who sent you?” Leo asked, eyeing the young man sharply.

“I can’t tell you that.” A crash came from downstairs.

“What was that?”

Chris watched them all rush out of the room and sighed a bit in relief. That hadn’t gone _too_ badly. Ellie slipped back in after the Charmed Ones and Leo were gone, eyeing her brother.

“Well, that could have gone worse.”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “Remember we have to follow the plan. Okay?”

“I know.” She exhaled sharply. “I know.”

“You should head back to Wyatt. You don’t want to be seen with me.”

“True.” Ellie nodded and headed back out of the attic. Their plan was working, so far, but the hardest part was yet to come.

***

The Titans were defeated, just as history foretold, except this time, it was done with the powers of the gods and Leo had become an Elder. Everything according to plan. Ellie couldn’t help notice her brother was…less than spectacular at keeping it together. He’d dropped about a dozen hints to his identity already, though the sisters were a bit too distracted to notice. She’d have to coach him on subtly later.

And he kept needling Leo. Not that she could _blame_ him, exactly.

If there was one person she blamed for her mother’s death, for Wyatt getting as powerful as he did, it was Leo.

She just kept a better lid on her anger than Chris did. She watched Chris sitting on the front stoop as Leo orbed in to speak with him. She felt his surprise and happiness. _I did it._

Ellie smiled. As Leo began to orb out, she felt Chris signal and lent her power to his own to scatter Leo’s orbs. They couldn’t risk him sticking around. Not right now in any case. Of every member of their family, he was the one most likely to interfere in what they needed to accomplish. The one always watching.

Chris stood up, walking back into the house and giving her a look, nodding in acknowledgment.

_Stage two, complete._


	3. Future Consequences

“It’s been over a month, Chris,” Ellie whispered sharply. “We can’t leave him there forever, eventually they’re going to want to talk to Leo. Plus, you may not have noticed but Piper is acting _really_ weird. Like, Stepford Wives weird.”

Chris sighed. “I think Leo must have used some kind of magic to ease her pain. It’s not like I could’ve _predicted_ that.”

She shrugged. “Whatever. I’m sure Freya wants him gone too.”

Ellie had a point there. Mist, one of Freya’s inner circle, had already stopped by yet again to remind him that they couldn’t keep an Elder in Valhalla forever.

“I just need a little bit more time.” He sighed. “Okay?”

“I just don’t want to risk…you know.”

“I know.” He glanced over at her. “You know, it’s weird to see you…like this. All the time. As Annie. I miss you.”

“I miss seeing my own face too.” She rubbed her jaw. “But this is how it has to be. We both agreed.”

“I know.” He nodded. “I know.”

Didn’t make it easier on either twin though, being separate, lying to their family. Seeing their Mom day in and day out and not being able to tell her the truth. Even though all either one of them really wanted was to spill everything, let the cards fall where they may. Get a chance to know her. For her to know them.

But that wasn’t going to save the future, was it?

“You know, it’s possible that we’ve already taken out the demon who turns Wyatt,” Ellie mused. “Possible.”

“I know. But we have to stick this out until the deadline passes.”

“I know.” Footsteps sounded on the attic stairs. Ellie sighed. “You should go. We shouldn’t be seen together too much. You know?”

“I know.” Chris orbed out.

Ellie picked up a few stray toys, her ostensible reason for being in the attic. Phoebe bounded into the attic a few moments later.

“Oh, hey Annie.”

“Phoebe,” Ellie flashed a smile. “Just cleaning up a bit.”

Phoebe frowned. “Are you okay? I’m getting some not so okay vibes from you.”

_Empathy. Shit._ Ellie shrugged. She’d sort of forgotten about this little development. “I’m fine, really.” She grabbed the last toy. “I’ll just get out of your way.”

“Okay, if you say so.” Phoebe’s eyes narrowed, watching as the nanny practically fled from the room. “That was weird.”

Back down in the nursery, Ellie took a deep breath. They were going to have to solve this empathy problem quickly before Phoebe got a handle on her power. The only that would have been worse was a telepath in the family.

Well, _another_ telepath in the family.

Chris had better hurry up.  

***

“I can’t believe you did that,” Chris complained.

“What? You wanted to _kill_ the Valkyries, this was easier.”

“Yeah, but now we have three tiny Valkyries is _jars_.” He gestured at the jars in question, glaring at his sister.

“Better than dead,” Ellie replied smugly. “Besides, who knows what that would have done to the timeline?”

“Fair enough.” He eyed the three amulets in his hand. “All right, I’ll give these to the sisters and we’ll go…get Leo.” He could have been talking about getting a root-canal for all the enthusiasm he was able to muster.

Ellie rolled her eyes. “It’s going to be fine. Probably. Just…stay cool.” She made a face. “As cool as you can anyway.”

“Gee, thanks.”

She playfully punched him in the arm. “You can deal, I’m sure.”

With shake of his head and a glare, he orbed away.

***

While neither sibling was exactly surprised at Leo’s suspicions, Ellie was a bit surprised to find her peacemaker father had a real warrior streak. She hissed in sympathy at the cut over Chris’ brow and pointed at the kitchen table in a quiet demand for him to sit while she grabbed the first aid kit.

There was a soft pang. _They never do move this._ She sighed, running her hand over the familiar box as she walked back to the table and set it down. “You have a bad habit of pissing people off, don’t you?”

He shrugged. “What can I say? It’s a gift.”

Ellie sat down next to him, popping open the box and ripping open an alcohol swab. “You’re lucky this house is well stocked.” _Since neither one of us can heal,_ went unspoken.

He winced at the sting as she disinfected the cut.

“Oh, thank you for helping out,” Piper said. “Leo was a little out of sorts.”

“Well, I’m sure he couldn’t help it,” Ellie replied. “I can’t imagine what it must have been like to be stuck in Valhalla all that time.”

Piper nodded. “I’m sure he’ll…calm down.” She eyed Chris’ injury. “That doesn’t look too bad.” She pushed the hair back from his forehead.

It took everything he had not to lean into the familiar touch.

“Is Wyatt okay?” Ellie asked.

“He’s sleeping, Leo is looking after him at the moment.” Piper smiled. “You need a break anyway.”

“Oh—thank you.”

“I’m going to make some tea, you two want some?”

“Sure, that would be great,” Ellie said. “Thanks.”

Piper smiled and began her usual bustle around the kitchen. Ellie put her attention back on Chris, dabbing on anti-bacterial ointment and sticking on a Band-Aid.

“There you are.”

_Are you okay?_ She gave him a look.

_Yeah._ He smiled. _It’s okay, Ellie._

_You got a plan to deal with this empathy business?_

He nodded. _There’s a potion. I’ve got a guy. Be a bit harder now with Leo hovering though._

She made a face and started to clean up the first aid kit, tossing the wrappers and putting it back in time for Piper to set the tea things out.

_I can try to distract him._

He shook his head minutely. _Best if you don’t look suspicious right now._

She had to admit, he had a point.

“Do you want any sugar?” Piper pushed the dish toward Ellie.

“Yeah, thanks.”

_“Do you want any sugar, sweetheart?” Mom called from the stove._

_“Yeah!” Ellie shouted, coming to a stop just outside the kitchen. “Have you seen my flats? I can’t find them.”_

_“Where did you leave them?”_

Ellie swallowed, pushing the memory away. A week later, Mom was dead, Wyatt was power-mad and her family was destroyed.

Chris felt the sudden sharp pain from his twin and couldn’t help reaching out to put a hand on hers and squeezing quickly before Piper noticed.

“Is everything okay in here?” Phoebe asked, “I just felt this wave of sadness.”

“Everything is fine,” Ellie said. “We’re just having tea.”

Phoebe gave Ellie a hard look. “I’m sure that I felt something.”

“Well it is a new power, Phoebe, you could have been feeling it from anyone.”

Phoebe wrinkled her nose. “It’s so hard to tell these days.”

“Do you want some tea?” Piper asked.

“Might as well.”

Leo came down a few minutes later, taking in the domestic scene. “Everything okay here?”

“Every this fine,” Piper said. “Is Wyatt sleeping?”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “Chris, could I have a word with you?”

“Why, you want to punch me again?”

Ellie sipped her tea.

“No. Of course not.” Leo sighed. “I wanted to apologize. I lost my temper. I shouldn’t have hit you. I’ll heal you if you want.”

“I’m fine.” Chris took a breath. “I have things to do. Call if you need me.” He orbed out.

Ellie sighed. One of these days, Chris was going to let his temper get the better of him and let something slip. And then they’d really be screwed.

***

Chris was starting to get antsy again and Ellie was wishing she had literally _any_ other job. So far she’d had to unsummon a dragon, watch over a legendary sword in a big rock and baby-sit a baby manticore. In a month. It was…a lot. She knew Chris was dealing with a lot, but they’d at least managed to block Phoebe’s empathy. Of course, that had drawn Leo’s suspicions…again.

Which was making him moody, and his moodiness was making _her_ moody.

Well that and it was their birthday today. Birthdays were never the same after Mom died. No matter how much Wyatt wanted them to be.

So when asked, they both joined the sisters at the bar for drinks. Alcohol would help. Ellie was particularly fond of gin and tonics, Chris’ poison of choice was beer. They could pretend that their seating arrangement was pure chance rather than a desire to stick together.

_Happy sweet sixteen, big brother._ Ellie chinked her glass against his bottle.

_Happy sweet sixteen._

At the other end of the bar, the sisters were clustered together, chatting a bit.

“You think those two are…you know?” Paige raised an eyebrow at Phoebe, nodding her head in Ellie and Chris’ general direction.

“No.” Phoebe shook her head. “Annie is just being nice. It’s good to see Chris actually hanging out though, that kid is _way_ too neurotic for his own good.”

“Very true,” Piper said. “He needs to relax a bit or his head will explode.”

“I did get you something,” Chris said. “For your birthday.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” Ellie replied.

“Yeah well, I wanted to. Come on, I left it back in my room.” He finished his beer and slipped off the stool. Ellie followed after him.

“You _sure_ they aren’t a thing?” Paige asked, taking notice of their joint departure.

“Pretty sure,” Phoebe replied.

Piper made a face. “I’ll just go…find out. I don’t think our nanny and our whitelighter should be…dating.”

“Fair enough.”

Chris opened the door to the back room he’d been sleeping in, and paused in the doorway.

“Chris?” Ellie peered over his shoulder and then froze. “Oh shit.”

“Hello kids.” A tall, burly looking demon stood in Chris’ room. “Your brother is _not_ happy with either one of you right now.”

“Yeah well, he’s a real disappointment to me too,” Chris retorted. “Did he send you?”

“Well, I am your nanny after all.” The demon smiled. “Are you going to come along nice and quiet?”

“Fat chance,” Ellie said. She grabbed the pendant hanging around her neck and jerked it free, taking deep breath as the rest of her powers came back online. She was going to need them. She gestured sharply, throwing the demon back into the metal cabinet.

“What the hell is that?” Piper didn’t blink after her exclamation, quickly freezing the club at large before attempting to blow up the demon.

He growled, and shimmered away.

Piper glanced at Chris and then Ellie. “Okay, so which one of you was the demon after?”

They traded looks, shrugging near simultaneously.

“We better get out of here.” She shook her head, taking them both by the arm. “We need to figure out who that demon was…and why he didn’t blow up.”

_This is bad._ Ellie glanced at Chris.

_Really, really, bad._


	4. Crossed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone is sent back from the future to bring the twins back--and their secrets are about to come out.

“Okay, spill. Why is a demon after you?”

“He wasn’t after me,” Chris protested.

“Or me,” Ellie added.

Piper raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. “This is not getting us anywhere. Paige, did you see anything in the book?”

“Not yet,” she entered the living room, book in her arms. “I mean, ‘big and scary’ isn’t a lot to go on. You guys have any other details you can give us?”

“No.”

The simultaneous negative had Piper’s eyebrow arching higher. “Did you two rehearse that or something?”

Ellie shrugged though gave herself a mental slap. It was _way_ too easy to fall into old habits.

“Look, the demon was probably coming after you three and just happened to hide in the wrong place,” Chris said. “I mean, I’m just your average whitelighter and it’s not like El—Annie, is super powerful or anything. I mean, she’s great and all but…”

_I’ll get you for that later._

He winced.

Phoebe came in a few steps later, Leo in tow. “We may have an idea about our mystery demon.”

“Oh?” Piper looked at Leo. “You recognize the description?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” Leo sighed. “Caesus. An upper level demon with a nasty reputation. He can cast spells, drain a witch’s powers—amongst other things. It’s strange though, he hasn’t been seen in some centuries.”

 _Yeah, odd._ Chris made a face. Wyatt had recruited the bastard soon after his rise to power, using Caesus to keep his siblings in line. Before that though, Caesus had been sealed inside a volcano or something.

Ellie rubbed her jaw. As subtly as he could, Chris bumped her shoulder with his.

_Thanks._

_It’s going to be okay._

_Not if Caesus gets ahold of is it won’t._ Caesus, followed by what? Death? The portal spell they’d used only went one way. What was he even doing here? Had Wyatt decided he didn’t care if they lived or died? Or had he found a way to bring them back to the future?

That thought sent a chill down both of their spines.

“Until we know for certain that this demon _isn’t_ after Annie, it’s probably a good idea that she stays in the manor,” Leo said. “Do you want to consult your whitelighter first?” He glanced at her.

 _Well, shit._ “No, that’s okay. I trust your judgement.”

“You know,” Piper mulled. “I don’t think we’ve ever met your whitelighter, Annie.”

“He’s very shy.” She flashed a smile. “And the Charmed Ones can be a bit intimidating.”

“Still—”

“I think there are more pressing things to worry about than Annie’s whitelighter being afraid to come to the manor,” Chris interrupted. “Like vanquishing potions?”

Wyatt started to cry.

“I’ve got it,” Ellie said. “Let me know if you need anything!” And she was off up the stairs before anyone could get a word in.

“That was…odd.” Piper looked over at Leo. “Do you know who her whitelighter is?”

“I can find out.”

“Maybe you should.”

“Maybe we all need to concentrate on _the demon_ ,” Chris said. “The powerful, _power draining_ demon.”

“He does have a point there,” Paige said. “Come on Piper, let’s get started on the potion.”

“Hold your horses, I’m coming.” She sighed and followed after her sister. “Something very strange is going on here…”

 _You don’t know the half of it._ Chris glanced at Leo. “Maybe the Elders know where Caesus has been?”

Leo’s eyes narrowed. “Maybe.”

“I should…go check my sources.” Chris made a face. “See you later.”

Leo watched Chris orb away and sighed. “That kid is hiding something.” He glanced up toward the stairs. “They both are.”

***

Chris orbed back to the club, taking a look around his room. If Caesus had left something behind, he’d be able to scry for him. Knowing where Caesus was would make it easier to avoid him. Well, and track him down to vanquish his ass. Chris _really_ wanted to vanquish that demon. If for no other reason than to deprive Wyatt of one of his favorite lieutenants…and to take revenge for everything Caesus had ever done to him. To Ellie.

“Didn’t think you’d be dumb enough to come back here.”

Chris froze. “I didn’t think _you_ would be dumb enough to come back here. Piper kicked your ass last time, or don’t you remember?” He turned around, eyeing Caesus. “You know I can orb out faster than you can blink.”

“You orb out and I’ll follow.”

“What are you doing here anyway?” Chris glared at him. “The spell only works one way, you’re trapped in the past.”

Caesus shook his head. “He wrote a new spell, just for you and little miss. So he could bring you home. You are his responsibility after all.”

“Fine words from a man that murdered his own family,” Chris spat. “I’m not going back. Ellie isn’t going back.” He began to orb away, Caesus reached out, snagged a handful of blue light and absorbing it into his hand.

The orbs scattered and then reformed before vanishing completed.

Chris landed back at the manor, staggering and falling to the attic floor.

“Chris!” Piper hurried over. “Are you okay?”

Paige was just a few steps behind her, and the others, hearing the commotion, hurried up as well.

Chris clutched his chest, gasping for breath.

“What happened?”

“Everybody back off,” Ellie snapped.

Leo ignored her, kneeling down next to Chris and taking a look at the strange mark that had appeared on his chest. “This looks like the mark of Caesus. Did you run into him?”

“What do you think?” Chris panted.

Leo held up his hands, light emerging as he made the effort to heal the younger man—to little effect. “It feels like…a virus.” He shook his head. “I don’t know if I can fix this.”

The twins knew full well he couldn’t. The only way to stop it now, was to let Caesus finish stripping Chris of his powers. He’d poisoned one twin… Ellie swallowed, fingertips tingling. She and Chris’ powers were too closely entwined. He only had to get one of them to poison them both.

She swallowed, throat gone dry. Worst of all, Caesus knew she wouldn’t let her twin die. She couldn’t. Which left her only the one option. The worst option. _We have to go back._

“So Caesus is after Chris,” Piper said. “Does that mean he’s from the future?”

“Yes,” Chris rasped. “He is.” He shook his head. “He was sent back to bring me back.” Chris glanced over at the sisters. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know he’d…I didn’t know they’d send anyone after me.”

“And who is they exactly?”

“I can’t tell you that.” Chris sighed. _Ellie. Don’t._

 _You’ll die._ We’ll _die._

He couldn’t argue with that but… _We have a job to do here._

 _And we’ll figure something out but…_ Ellie swallowed. _We have to go. We’ll make another chance. We will._

Chris shook his head.

“You need to trust us,” Leo said. “How are we supposed to help you if you don’t?”

“You aren’t.” Ellie threw her hand out, pushing everyone away from Chris. “ _I am_.” She rushed forward, putting a hand on his shoulder and taking a long look around her, trying to memorize faces. “Sorry.” And she orbed away.

“What…just happened?” Paige blinked.

“I don’t know,” Piper replied. “But I’m not about to let them just run off without finding out what the hell is going on.”

“Yeah, but how are we supposed to find them?” Phoebe asked.

“Annie has some things here, we’ll scry for her.” Piper looked at Paige. “Go grab something and let’s get to work. Those two have _a lot_ of explaining to do.”

***

“I always did think you were the smart one, Ellie,” Caesus crooned. “Of course, you couldn’t just let your big brother die now, could you?”

Ellie flinched as Caesus reached out, brushing his hand across her cheek.

“I’m not sure I like the new look though. Doesn’t suit you.” Without a hint of temper, he drew his hand back and struck her hard enough to send her to the floor, sending the glasses flying. The glamour vanished with them, leaving Ellie in her natural, teenaged appearance.

And while the sisters hadn’t noticed Chris’ exceptional likeness to them, there was no way they could miss how much Ellie looked like her mother, like Prue even.

Ellie clutched her cheek, too used to his treatment to say anything against it.

Chris growled. “Leave her alone!”

Caesus laughed and strode toward Chris, placing a hand on his chest a pressing him flat against the nearby wall. “Hush, I need to finish my work.”

Chris groaned as Caesus stripped away the last of his power.

Ellie gasped sharply, as by extension, her own power was sucked away into the void of Caesus.

The demon had already drawn the trinity knot in chalk on one dilapidated wall, waving his hand to activate the spell. “Time for you two to go home I think.” He reached into one pocket, retrieving what looked to be two loops of string. He threw each one toward a different twin, the strings elongated, wrapping around their necks tightly until he had two glowing leashes in hand. “Up.” He tugged.

Ellie scrambled to her feet to avoid choking and Chris leapt at Caesus in retribution. The demon knocked him to the floor.

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed your little glamour too, Chris.” Caesus shook his head. “Tsk. Tsk.”

“Screw you.”

Caesus jerked on the leash.

A flood of orbs heralded the arrival of the sisters—and Leo.

“Stop it right there!” Piper shouted, throwing her hands out to freeze the group—and failing. “Uh…I know why _she_ didn’t freeze—I think, why didn’t they?”

Caesus smiled. “My mother was a witch, or did you not read my Grimoire entry?”

“But that would mean Chris is—” Paige glanced at her whitelighter.

“Part witch? Yeah. Just like you.” He swallowed.

Paige blinked. “Wait, where’s Annie?”

“There never was an Annie,” Ellie said. “It was a glamour. I had to. We needed you to trust me. To trust _us.”_ She glanced at Piper and then Leo. “I had to protect Wyatt.”

Piper’s eyes widened slightly. “You’re from the future too…you’re just a kid.”

Caesus laughed. “They’re both _just_ kids. And now, I’m going to take them back to daddy.” He bowed slightly. “Ciao.”

Phoebe threw the vanquishing potion. Caesus laughed again. “Sorry, but that won’t work on me. I’ve got too much power running through me. Charmed power.” He tugged hard on the leashes. “Say goodbye kids.”

“I—I guess you’ll just have to fix that floorboard without me.” Chris looked at Leo.

“Keep an eye on Wyatt,” Ellie said. “Be safe.” She swallowed everything she _wanted_ to say. The tears she wanted to shed.

Chris took her by the hand—and Caesus dragged them through the portal.


	5. Secrets Don't Stay Buried

“That…that is not good.” Piper blinked.

Paige walked toward the portal, spotting Ellie’s glasses on the floor. She picked them up. “What do we now?” She wrinkled her nose and slipped on the glasses, the glamour took over.

“Well, that explains ‘Annie’,” Phoebe said. “That must be a powerful glamour.”

Leo took the glasses from Paige, turning them over in his hands with a furrow in his brow. “The magic feels…familiar. And did you hear what Caesus said?”

“ _Charmed_ power,” Paige said. “He said he had _Charmed_ power running through him.”

“We have to get them back.” Phoebe took a breath. “I could feel their emotions as Caesus was dragging them away. They were scared to death.”

Piper nodded. “Phoebe’s right. We can’t leave them to whatever monster is waiting for them in the future.”

“The floorboard!” Paige snapped her fingers. “Chris mentioned that floorboard in the attic earlier and then again. Maybe—maybe Caesus was taking them to the attic in the future.”

“Maybe he wanted us to give him something,” Phoebe said.

“Like what?” Paige glanced at her sister.

“Like his powers. _Their_ powers.” Piper swallowed. “Let’s go.”

***

The twins fell onto the floor of the future attic, coming face to face with a cadre of demons, and the darkest power of them all lurking behind his guards. Wyatt stepped forward, shaking his head in disappointment.

“They’re no threat to me.”

His demons nodded in acknowledgment and shimmered away.

“When are you two going to learn?” He stepped forward. “Disobedience will not be tolerated, not even from you.”

Caesus jerked the twins to their feet, a cruel smile stretching his lips. “I took their powers, as requested.”

“Good, perhaps some time without them will teach you not to cross me.” Wyatt glanced from Chris to Ellie. “Then again, I know how well you respond to incentives.” He grabbed Ellie by the arm, jerking her free of Caesus’ leash. It snapped, reverting to a thread and floating to the floor.

Ellie stared back at her brother, green eyes wide. “Wyatt…please. We just wanted to help you.”

“Help me? There’s nothing wrong with me, Penelope.”

“We just wanted to stop the evil that turned you, we wanted to _save_ you,” Chris protested.

Wyatt shook his head. “You two really must catch up with the times. There is no good. There is no evil. There is only, _power._ ” And without another word, he broke Ellie’s arm with a horrible twist. She fell to the floor with nearly no sound at all, lips clamped shut against the mewling cry.

Chris felt the pain for a flash, as if it were his own, and gritted his teeth. “You bastard!”

“Tsk, tsk, baby brother. None of that.” Wyatt hit him, sending him back to the floor and snapping the tether. “You will obey me. Just like Melinda. Just like the cousins. Or you’ll die like our aunts. Like our mother.”

Chris snarled and got up, tackling his brother.

“Are you insane?” Wyatt, shoved him aside, catching the necklace that held Chris’ adult glamour in place and snapping it.

The illusion shattered, but Chris kept up the fight. Wyatt threw him again—but this time it was in the right direction. He scrabbled for the loose floorboard, prying it up and reaching inside for the precious fold of paper within.

“ _Power of the witches rise, come to us across the skies. Return our magic, give it back. All that was taken, in the attack!”_

The golden light of the twins’ power left Caesus, returning to their proper owners. Chris tapped into that shared gift, throwing Wyatt across the room and rushing for the book.

“ _Ellie._ ” He orbed his sister to him.

_“Hear these words. Hear the Rhyme._

_Heed the hope within my mind._

_Send me back to where I’ll find._

_What I wish in place and time.”_

He grabbed the spell, pulling her uninjured arm over his shoulder and throwing telekinetic energy back at Caesus to keep him away. Wyatt seemed to be struggling with—something, someone. The smell of baking cookies filled the attic as white light seemed to press Caesus and Wyatt back, away from the twins. With one last look at the future, the twins dove back through the portal before Wyatt’s last ditch effort of an energy ball could reach them.

And fell into the attic of the past all over again.

***

Ellie collapsed on the attic floor as they landed.

“Are you all right?” Phoebe asked.

“Her arm is broken,” Chris said.

Leo didn’t waste time, moving toward the injured girl.

Without any real malice, Ellie flinched away from him.

“It’s okay, it’s just Leo.” Chris knelt down next to her. “We’re back in the past, Ellie. You’re safe.”

She panted and managed a nod.

Leo approached her again, slowly, and put his hands over her injury, the golden glow knitting bone and torn tissue back together. “You’re bleeding, Chris.” Leo turned to him. “Come here.”

“It’s nothing—”

“No arguing from you, young man,” Piper insisted. “And you both have some _serious_ explaining to do.”

With all three of the sisters staring down at him, Chris couldn’t quite find it in himself to argue. Not when Ellie was upset.

Leo healed Chris, taking noted of every bruise and scuff the pair had accrued. “What happened? Did you vanquish Caesus?”

“No,” Ellie said. “No, someone helped us.” She swallowed. “And they can’t follow again. We’ll be safe here until…”

“Until we can save Wyatt.” Chris took her hand. “We are going to save him.”

Ellie rubbed her jaw, drawing Leo’s attention to the scar. He frowned. “I think the first thing we need to know is, who are you and more importantly, how _old_ are you?” He looked at Chris. “And don’t think I didn’t notice that you look different buster.”

Chris swallowed, reaching for the necklace that was no longer there. “Shit.”

“Watch your language,” Piper said. “Now, _spill._ ”

“We can’t, future consequences. We could change too much,” Ellie said.

“Exactly,” Chris said.

“Nope, not buying it anymore.” Piper shook her head. “We want the truth, _now_.”

The twins glanced from Leo, to Piper, to their Aunts and back again. Ellie sighed. “You know you won’t change her mind, Chris.”

He sighed.

“Do I need to count?” Piper arched her eyebrow.

 _Oh my god._ Ellie glanced at Chris.

 _Yeah._ Chris nodded. “Okay. Fine. Ellie is my sister.”

“Twin, sister,” Ellie clarified. “And we’re…sixteen.” She mumbled the last word.

“ _Sixteen._ ” Piper made a face. “And _when_ did you turn sixteen?”

“Yesterday.” Chris looked a bit like he’d swallowed a grapefruit.

“And you’re both half whitelighter, half witch,” Phoebe said more than asked.

“Yup.”

“And they look like…well, Ellie looks like _you_ , Piper.” Phoebe glanced at her sister. “And what did Caesus say? Charmed power? Maybe he meant—”

_Fuck._

Ellie couldn’t meet anyone’s gaze. It was just too much right then. Dealing with Wyatt, being confronted by her family—being outed. And she could feel Chris was just as mucked up as she was. There wasn’t much either one of them could do about it.

“It doesn’t matter who we are!” Chris snapped. “All that matters is that we stop Wyatt from becoming evil. We stop him from—” He stopped, the rest of the words stuck in his throat.

Ellie took his hand.

“Wait, _Wyatt_ , is the evil you’ve come to stop?”

“Save,” Ellie said. “We came to save him.” She looked up from the floor, meeting Piper’s uncertain stare. “Something turned Wyatt. Made him…” She shook her head. “We have to save him.”

“But you are Halliwells, aren’t you?” Phoebe said.

“Aren’t you?” Leo repeated. He looked at each of them. “The magic in the glasses, it felt familiar. It felt like—”

“Paige?” Ellie asked. “They were _our_ Paige’s magic.” Ellie looked at Paige. “You made them for me. You made the necklace Chris wore. You helped us plan for this. To come back.”

“I did?”

“Yeah.” Chris swallowed. _And then you died._

“Are you _my_ kids?” Paige asked.

Ellie shook her head.

“No. Their mine.” Piper stepped forward, joining Leo to crouch down on the floor next to Ellie and Chris. “Aren’t you?” She reached over, pushing the dark strands of hair from Ellie’s face. “My babies.”

Ellie couldn’t help it any longer, she broke down and started to cry. Chris bit the inside of his cheek. Looking away from Piper in attempt to keep it together.

“Oh, honey, it’s okay. It’s okay, don’t cry.” Piper pulled them both into her arms. “We’re going to figure all of this out. I promise.”

 _Just like Mom,_ Ellie thought.

 _We shouldn’t get too close,_ Chris thought.

But right then, neither one of them could bring themselves to tear away. This Piper might not be _their_ Mom, but she was still Mom. She still smelled the same way. Felt the same way. And they’d missed her for so long.

_Too long._

And whatever happened next, at least…at least they would have a little bit more time to just _be_ with their mom.


	6. The Past is Prologue

Emotionally and physically exhausted, the twins fell asleep just about the moment they were corralled downstairs and onto the couch. Piper sat down across from them, eyes fixed on the sleeping faces.

“I just—look at them.” She glanced at Leo. “How did I not see this? Even when he looked older Chris…the little things he said. He has Prue’s temper.”

“And Ellie does that thing with her eyebrow that you do,” Phoebe noted. “They’re so young. I just—how bad is their time that they were the only people who could go back? Why didn’t _we_ go back?”

“That’s a good question.” Paige perched on the arm of the sofa. “And I have a feeling that the answer is something along the lines of, _we’re dead._ ” She looked around the room. “Ellie could barely bring herself to mention future me. The future they come from…we aren’t in it.”

“They’re so young.” Piper swallowed. “Sixteen, _just_ sixteen. They were fifteen when they came back in the first place. Fifteen and fighting demons. That’s a future I do not want for my children.”

Leo nodded, eyes widening is sudden realization. “If they’re half-whitelighter, does that mean. I mean, you and me?” He looked at Piper. “How much younger are they than Wyatt?”

“Fair question.” Paige sighed. “But we should get our little future niece and nephew to bed. You can interrogate them in the morning.”

Leo nodded. “Paige is right, they need rest.” He glanced at Chris, at his _son_ , and couldn’t help remember all of the suspicions, the unintentionally cruel words. What had his kids been through? How had Wyatt become evil? And where was he in all of this? Future him, that is.

He walked over, placing a hand on Chris’ arm. “We can put him in Paige’s room, if Paige doesn’t mind bunking with Phoebe?”

“No, that’s fine,” Phoebe said. Paige nodded.

“Okay. Paige, could you put Ann—Ellie, to bed?” Piper asked.

“Sure thing.”

Leo took care of Chris, orbing him into Paige’s bed. He tugged off the teenager’s shoes and carefully tucked him into bed.

Looking at the twins was…it was like a promise that he and Piper would make things right between them, _somehow_. He did have to wonder, more than wonder, if it had always been his fate to become an Elder. What had his life been like in the timeline the twins came from?

He both wanted and _didn’t_ want to know. But the larger part of him, the part that had already accepted that these kids were _his_ , that part wanted to know why Chris disliked him so much. Wanted to know where the scar Ellie rubbed habitually had come from. He wanted to know everything his children had gone through. He wanted to fix it. To fight for them. And, he needed to know what had happened to Wyatt. What had turned his sweet little boy to evil.

Before it was too late to stop it.

***

The next morning, Chris woke up—and was immediately both confused and surprised to find himself in Paige’s room. He got up, stretched and orbed to his sister’s room. He wasn’t really surprised to find her awake. Though it was odd to see her still in bed. She had her knees drawn up to her chest, a blanket pulled close around her.

“Hey.”

She looked up. “Hey.” Ellie shook her head. “We fucked up, Chris. I can’t believe we told them.”

“Hey, we were emotionally compromised.” He took a seat on the bed next to her. “I mean, after Wyatt…”

“I’m okay.”

“You’re not, and you don’t have to be.” He put a hand on her knee. “Wyatt can’t send anyone else back after us now.”

“I know.” She sighed. “It was—it was Mom’s spirit again, wasn’t it? That protected us back there?”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “I think so.”

Someone knocked on the door. “Ellie? Is Chris in there with you?” Piper called.

Ellie sighed. “Yeah.”

The door creaked open and Piper peeked inside. “I’m making breakfast. Why don’t you two come downstairs and we’ll talk.”

Chris looked to his sister. Their mutual turmoil ran the risk of creating a feedback loop. Which would only lead to some severe brooding. No one wanted that.

 _I am hungry_ , Ellie thought.

“What’s for breakfast?” Chris asked.

“Pancakes and eggs and bacon…” Piper raised her eyebrows.

 _Pancakes…_ “Okay,” Ellie said softly. She pushed the blanket aside and Chris got up to let her off the bed.

Piper stepped back from the door, watching the siblings pad out of the room and down the stairs. She crossed her arms and took a deep breath. She’d dealt with a _lot_ of weird things since finding out she was a witch, but seeing her as of yet unborn children as teenagers? That was a new one.

Neither twin was surprised to find the rest of the Halliwell clan waiting for them at the table. Phoebe was feeding Wyatt, but Leo and Paige turned their attention to the twins almost immediately.

“Good morning.”

Chris felt Ellie freeze. Without even tapping into their bond, he knew exactly what was going through her mind. The _last morning._

 

 _Three years ago_ … in the future.

“Kids! Breakfast!” Piper shouted up the stairs.

The small stampede of her three youngest children hurtling down the stairs was enough to shake the photos on the walls.

“Don’t run!”

“Sorry, Mom,” Melinda said, sliding into the dining room.  “I’m running late.”

“That’s not a good reason.” Piper gave her eldest daughter a hard stare. “Set a good example for the twins.”

Melinda rolled her eyes. “Yes, Mom.” The singular redhead took a seat and grabbed a plate.

The twins were there half a second later, taking seats and plates and diving in without so much as a good morning.

“And I suppose you two are late too?” She raised an eyebrow at them.

“Sorry,” Chris managed between bites. “I promised Henry I’d help him this morning.”

“And I’ve got an extra class today,” Ellie said.

“Sometimes I think you spend too much time with your nose in a book, Penelope.” Piper shook her head. “You need to be a kid sometimes, you know that right?”

“ _Yes_ , Mom.” Ellie smiled. There was no scar on her jaw. Not yet.

Piper smiled back, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from Ellie’s face.

And then Wyatt walked in from the kitchen and the children froze.

“Hi Mom. Chris, Ellie—Melinda.” Wyatt smiled. “Miss me?”

And then…then Wyatt tried to wrest control of the Hollow. Piper and the Aunts stood against him.

_Mom died._

_Dad did nothing._

 

“Hey, are you two okay?” Leo asked.

Ellie shook her head. “I can’t do this.” Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to say something, _anything_ , and failed.

“Ellie.”

“I can’t pretend like this is _our_ family, Chris.” She looked at him. “Our Mom. She’s gone and we both know whose fault that was.” She grit her teeth. “I just can’t.”

And she orbed away.

Chris took a breath, and followed her.

“What just happened?” Piper asked, coming into the room in time to see the orbs dissipate.

“Uh…I think the twins have unresolved issues.” Phoebe made a face. “They’ve been radiating grief since they got back. Some anger. I felt anger just now when she rushed off. There’s something they aren’t telling us. Something about how future _you_ …died.”

Piper took a deep breath and exhaled. “We need to find them and find out what happened. What’s going on in those heads of theirs.”

“And I think I might need to _not_ be there when you do,” Leo said. “I just have this feeling that they blame me for something.”

“But you aren’t future Leo,” Paige argued.

“Yeah, but you can’t really tell that to two grieving teenagers, can you?” Leo shook his head. “No, Paige, you need to tap into your whitelighter powers. Sense for the twins. They’re blood relatives, so you shouldn’t have trouble. Find them, and then bring them back. If you have trouble…well, I can always ground them.”

“You mean you can stop them from orbing?” Piper asked.

“Yeah. I’ve never done it with Wyatt because…well, I want him to learn responsibility by example. But if we can’t get the kids to stay in one place, I can at least pin them down.”

“Okay.” Piper nodded. “Paige, you take Phoebe and find the kids. I’ll stay with Wyatt.”

There were nods all around as everyone excepted their assignments.

Now, they just had to find the twins.


	7. Kids will be Kids

Chris wasn’t really surprised by Ellie’s chosen hideaway. They’d always felt a connection the high arc of the Golden Gate Bridge. Up above the whole world with city splayed out beneath them. She was perched on one of the huge cables of the center support.

“Ellie.”

“Chris.” She looked up from the horizon. “I’ve made a mess of things.”

“I don’t know, I’m pretty sure I’ve done worse.” He leaned against the support cable. “I’m pissed at him, I can’t help but be pissed at him. I look at Leo and I see the asshole that didn’t stop Wyatt.” He exhaled sharply. “And as much as I want to punch him in the face I—I know he’s not Dad.”

“That’s part of the problem,” Ellie said. “They aren’t Mom and Dad. They aren’t.” She shook her head. “No matter how much I want it.”

“We still have a job to do.”

“I know.” She smiled. “Look at you, being the reasonable one.”

“Hey, one of has to be.” He smiled back. “What do you want to do, Ellie?”

“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “I just…I don’t know.”

“Well I do.” Leo’s voice rang out. Ellie startled. Leo reached out, preventing her from taking a tumble off the Golden Gate bridge. He raised his eyebrows at her, a firm grip on her arm. “You should be more careful.”

“I would have orbed.” She tried to shake him off…and failed. “Let me go.”

“No. I may not be the father you know from the future, but I _am_ still your father. And you are both coming home.”

Chris went from mildly agreeable to irritated…quickly. “You can’t order us around!”

“Technically I’m your boss as well as your father, so yes, I can.”

Chris made a face. “You are such an egotistical—”

“You might want to rethink finishing that sentence.” Leo grabbed Chris’ wrist. “We’re going back to the manor, where we will _talk_.”

Chris exchanged a look with Ellie.

_We could always just orb off you know._

Ellie nodded.

And then nothing happened.

“Trying to orb? Sorry kids, but you’re grounded until we can sort all of this out.” And then he orbed them both home.

***

“I think I hate this Leo more than our Leo,” Chris muttered.

Ellie shrugged. “At least there are pancakes.”

“Sure, _now_ you’re the positive one.”

“What, do you two take turns?” Piper asked, walking back into the dining room with fresh glasses of milk. “That’s good to know.”

Ellie shoveled half a pancake into her mouth and shrugged.

“Chew your food.”

Paige orbed into the room a few moments later. “Well, we got all of Chris’ stuff from the club and I think we can put a bed up in the attic.”

“My stuff?” Chris asked.

“Well, you can’t live in the back of P3 anymore,” Leo said. “You’re sixteen, for one, and our son, for another.”

Chris made a face, and took his frustration out by chewing viciously on a piece of bacon.

“And don’t think I’m not still a little bit pissed about you two drinking,” Piper scolded. “Not cool.” She set the milk down.

“Yeah, well, when you come from a dystopian future where your brother is an evil overlord, certain things like…the drinking age? Don’t matter so much.” Chris finished his stirp of bacon. “Just saying.”

“Well it matters _here_.” Piper crossed her arms over her chest. “There will be no more drinking of adult beverages by minors. Clear?”

“Crystal,” Ellie replied.

Piper shot Chris a look.

“Yes, fine.”

“Well, that’s settled. Now, finish your breakfast. Drink your milk and then you two are going to explain _exactly_ what it is we’re trying to prevent.” She fixed each one with a hard stare. “And don’t even think about running off. I will bring you back and tie you to a chair.”

Neither one had any illusions that she wasn’t serious.

They knew her too well.

After breakfast, everyone was relocated into the living room, Paige and Phoebe postponing their days for a few hours. This was, after all, a family emergency.

“All right, let’s start with the big thing, Wyatt is evil in your future, how did that happen?” Leo took a seat in the chair across from the twins (huddled together on the couch).

Chris shrugged. “If we knew, we wouldn’t have had to come back so early. Ellie made sure nothing happened while you were pregnant—and after. I was supposed to handle the Titans and then come in as your whitelighter. Watch out for demonic influences further afield while—”

“While I watched the stuff close to home,” Ellie interrupted. “All we really know is that Wyatt was turned before we were born.”

“And that was when?” Piper asked.

_You know they need to know._ Ellie looked at Chris. _For Wyatt’s sake._

Chris sighed. “Ellie and I are five years younger than Wyatt.”

“ _Five years_?” Piper raised her eyebrow. “Why so long?”

“Probably because Melinda was such a—”

Ellie elbowed Chris, cutting him off.

“Melinda?” Piper blinked. “You have an older sister?”

Ellie sighed and nodded, somewhat reluctantly. “Yeah.”

“So sometime between now and your birth, Wyatt was turned.”

“That’s the long and short of it,” Chris replied.

“And you said I—well, future me, helped you with this little plan?” Paige asked. “Why me?”

_You were the only Charmed One left._

Neither twin could meet her eyes.

“Oh.” Paige bit her lip and nodded. “I think I see. So I helped you plot this trip back to past, did I also tell you not to say anything to any of us?”

“Well, yeah,” Chris looked up. “I mean, they kept telling us in school that messing with the past is dangerous and you always said it was. All of you. But what other choice was there this time? And well, then you busted us.”

“Yeah. I didn’t see that coming,” Ellie muttered.

“So what powers do you two have exactly?” Phoebe asked. “Beyond telekinesis.”

“Well we orb,” Chris said.

“We’re twins,” Ellie said. “That comes with…so things.”

“Telepathy, empathy—within the bond,” Leo said. “I thought that might be the case.”

“Aren’t you smart?” Chris rolled his eyes.

“And then there’s _that_ ,” Piper said. “The both of you act like Leo is awful. Ellie, I know your running off this morning had something to do with that.”

“And don’t think I don’t know you sent me to Valhalla,” Leo added.

“You were in the way,” Chris said. “And _way_ too suspicious of me. I needed to be able to work without you watching all the time.”

“A separate topic. And how exactly did you get a hold of three Valkyrie pendants when the sisters came to get me then?” He gave each twin a sharp look. “They don’t part with those easily.”

“I shrank them,” Ellie said. “I remembered that story about the weird doll-maker guy and thought, hey, that might work. And it did. They were perfectly all right when I changed them back and mostly non-violent.”

“You _shrank_ them.” Leo blinked.

“Yeah. They were fine.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

“Moving on,” Piper said. “Was Leo always an Elder? Or was that something you two cooked up to stop the Titans?”

“Good question,” Paige tacked on.

Chris sighed. “Look, we needed to make room for me to be your whitelighter.”

“ _And_ the way you won last time was…well, you allied with some people that weren’t exactly, _good_.” Ellie made a face. “The Titans put the world at risk. Even demons were willing to join forces to stop that. We thought that it might have been the catalyst that made Wyatt turn, so of course we had to find another way.”

“Making Leo an Elder…it was the least likely to make a significant timeline change.” Chris shrugged.

“You split up your parents,” Phoebe argued. “How was that not significant?”

Chris shrugged.

“This brings us back to you the fact that you seem to _hate_ your father,” Piper said. “So spill.”

“He let it happen,” Ellie spat after a long silence.  

“Let what happen?” Piper asked.

“He let Wyatt just—” Ellie shook her head, blinking away angry tears.

“We knew Wyatt was…wrong. Off. But you never listened.” Chris looked at his hands. “You _wouldn’t_ listen. The Event happened, and even then you just…you acted like it wasn’t Wyatt’s fault. Except it was. He tormented us and you did nothing.”

“His demons killed Mom and you did _nothing,_ ” Ellie snapped. “You just, left. You left us. With him. Aunt Phoebe and Paige tried to save us. Didn’t exactly work out for them and you—did nothing.”

Leo looked somewhat dumbstruck. “I don’t understand.”

“Yeah well, that’s not the first time we’ve heard that either,” Chris said.

“But Leo _isn’t_ that Leo,” Piper argued. “And if now that we know what happened, we can stop it from happening again.”

“But we don’t know,” Chris said. “Not really. There was nothing that could tell us _how_ Wyatt turned. We only know roughly _when._ ”

“And that he doesn’t give a damn.”

“Language.”

Ellie and Chris rolled their eyes.

“ _And_ none of this excuses you two treating Leo like a leper,” Piper scolded.

“Not a leper, just—”

“Nope, no excuses.” She shook her head sharply. “You will treat Leo like an actual person with feelings. I know you came back to save Wyatt, but I think at least a small part of you both wants to try and make things right with your father. A second chance.”

“Yeah, that’s totally why we risked everything to come back in time, to fix a relationship.” Chris rolled his eyes.

“Let’s put a ban on the eye-rolling too while we’re at it.”

“Now that all of that is in the open,” Leo started, “Chris can get himself settled into the attic.”

“And I will help Ellie build a timeline to see if we can’t pinpoint Wyatt’s turn a bit more closely,” Paige said. “Come on.”

Ellie practically ran from the room, Paige following after. Chris was up in a flash, running up the stairs—definitely happy to be anywhere _but_ a room with Leo in it.

“I think that went well,” Phoebe said. “Really well. I’m going to go…find something to do.” She got up and walked away, leaving Piper and Leo alone in the living room.

“They hate me,” Leo said. “They _really_ hate me.”

“They hate _future_ you. They’ll figure that out. Maybe.” Piper made a face. “I’m going to make some cookies. You don’t have to the Elders about this, do you? I don’t think they’d be…okay. With the kids. You know?”

“I…I think this is one thing they don’t need to know right away.” Leo sighed. “My family comes first. We save Wyatt and maybe…just maybe, I can save the relationship with the rest of my kids.”

“We can only hope so.”


End file.
